Business History: Dill's Seafood

Mar. 20, 2009

Written by

Doug Fuhrmann

Sebastiana "Bessy" Marino, matriarch of Bridgetonís Dill Seafood family, died in 2004 at age 85.

Honored in the Shad Shack Museum in Connecticut as the "King and Queen of Shad," Marino and her husband, the late Everett Sr., once shucked oysters and boned shad from their Upper Deerfield home for markets in several states.

They owned Dillís Seafood, a business dating to the early 20th century, since purchasing it in the 1950s from William Floyd Dill.

Once a roadside stand, it evolved into a take-out business at the corner of Cohansey and Washington streets in Bridgeton.

Presiding over the growth and development of her familyís business for more than 40 years, Mrs. Marino was a familiar sight on most evenings, visiting with patrons and helping to oversee the operation of the restaurant.

In 1995, her son, Everett Jr., running the business with a half-dozen other relatives, expanded Dillís, including a raw bar and crab house.

The historic business developed a loyal following and has been featured in The New York Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer, among other publications.

You will automatically receive the TheDailyJournal.com Top 5 daily email newsletter. If you don't want to receive this newsletter, you can change your newsletter selections in your account preferences.